Last November, almost a year to the date of this post, TARC took in to weenie dog mix adult and three puppies that came to us from a situation where the owner (presumably elderly and ill health) had gotten in over her head trying to care for them. They were largely unsocialized, but no more so than the solid red female. She was nippy, scared of her own shadow, and didn't trust people at all.
We couldn't tell which of the three puppies belonged to the red female (far left) and which ones belonged to the black and tan female (second from left.) It seemed clear that all were related somehow, but there was no sure way to tell.
I agonized over the decision to send the red female on transport. Relocation is extremely stressful for all dogs, but can be devastating for the fearful ones. Small dogs that can be transferred in the crate itself are a better risk than larger dogs that must be removed from the vehicle and walked into the receiving agency. The chance of someone being bitten or even of the dog escaping is quite high. I finally decided to let her go to Molly's Place in Mechanicsburg, PA, since they have a great track record for working with troubled dogs. I also knew the transporter and had tremendous confidence in her ability to get this dog to Molly's Place safely.
Pictured above right is the red female in her original home, before we took her into rescue. The top photo is her this Halloween in her cute little pumpkin costume. Apparently she went trick-or-treating! Her new family loves her very much. They take her everywhere that dogs are allowed, buy her the neatest toys, blankets, and clothing, and take tons of pictures! For us, there's nothing more telling about how little Gina feels about her new life than the look on her face in the photo at left. Or her position of total comfort and security as she naps in her jammies below. It's this type of Happy Tail that keeps us motivated, this kind of success story that keeps us plugging along even when it seems like everything in the world conspires to make us give up in total frustration. From terrified and mistrusting to spoiled and living life to the fullest, little Gina has come full circle, and we're thrilled that TARC played a role in that in some small way.
